Monday, October 27, 2014

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of
the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Why do you
celebrate Reformation day?

Is it
because it’s fun to wear red and play pin the 95 theses on the door? Well, no.
Though festive ways of remembering the Reformation are good. But the
Reformation wasn’t about fashion statements even if Luther did let his hair
grow back on the top of his head.

Is it
because it’s a day to pat ourselves on the back for all we’ve accomplished in
the last 497 years? No. The reason Luther is such an important teacher of the
faith and the reason the Reformation is still celebrated and still needed, is
because Luther wanted the church to abide in the word of God, not the works of
man.

Is it
because it’s like church spring cleaning; time to smash the stained glass
windows, topple the statues, remove the crucifixes, and stick out our tongues
at the pope and declare our liberation from the papacy, right? No, not at all.
Remember, Luther didn’t set out to start a new church; but to reform the
church. To bring the church back to abiding in the Word of God. Not a restart,
but a return to the true catholic confession of faith. Luther didn’t want a
riot, but a reformation. Luther taught Christian freedom, not anarchy. Now, some
did riot and revolt; it’s called the radical reformation. They smashed and
burned, huffed and puffed and tried to blow the whole house down. They wanted
revolution. Luther wanted reformation.

This is why
Luther kept, and Lutherans to this day still keep and treasure the practices
and ceremonies of the church, things like chanting, vestments, processions, singing
hymns, using the liturgy, stained glass windows, and other works of sacred art.
Why? Because all of these things point us to Christ when they are taught and
used rightly. Luther was a conservative reformer, correcting what was wrong;
preserving what was right.

Is it
because the Reformation is over and it’s time to party? Well, no. Not exactly. The Church is always and ever being reformed. The
Lutheran churches. This church. It’s not simply a once and done deal where you
can kick back and relax. There’s always error, always drift, always a little
sideways current or wind that blows the Church slightly off course. We too are
ever in need of reformation. It’s not about once confirmed always Lutheran or
whatever other false security blanket we try to wrap ourselves in. Rather,
rejoice in your Baptism. It’s a daily gift, a daily dying and rising, a daily
reformation.

Why do you
celebrate Reformation day? Because of God’s promises in these words:

Then I saw another angelflying
directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on
earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

For we hold that one is justified by
faith apart from works of the law.

It doesn’t get much
clearer than that. There’s the heart of the Reformation. And the heart of the
Christian faith. You, a sinner, are justified, saved by Christ’s death on the
cross, apart from the works of the law. Free gift. By grace you are saved. You
live by Christ’s mercy, not your merits.

Now that
sounds like a reason to celebrate. But there’s more.

“If
you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,and
you willknow
the truth, and the truthwill
set you free.”

God’s Word is the common
denominator. God’s Word is an eternal gospel, proclaiming that all nations are
saved by the Lamb who was slain and lives. God’s Word declares that you are
justified by faith apart from works of the Law. God’s Word sets you free from
slavery to sin.

Everything is founded on the Word of God. Here I stand – upon God’s
Word. So, your Faith in Christ is born of the Word. Faith is fed by the Word.
Faith is sustained by the Word. And without the Word, faith dies. Apart from
Christ the Vine you, his branches, wither and die.

The Jews answered him,“We
are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that
you say, ‘You will become free’?”

What irony. Even as this
conversation was taking place, the Jews were enslaved to the Romans. And before
that there were the Persians, the Assyrians, and the Babylonians. Oh, and don’t
forget that “little” extended stay in Egypt.

How soon they forgot. How
soon we forget. As bad as the
Egyptians were, there is a worse master: Sin and Death. The truth is, you are a slave to sin, just as Israel was once a slave in
Egypt. Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.

Whether you’re a son of Abraham or Luther, it doesn’t matter. We are
born slaves; captive by Sin and Death. And it’s not just our thoughts, words
and deeds. No, it’s much deeper than that. Capital “S” Sin. We’re stuck. We’re
enslaved. And we’re powerless to liberate ourselves. Any attempt at
self-emancipation only make matters worse. It didn’t work for Luther. It won’t
work for you either.

The Law is more than a mirror that shows us our sin; it’s a magnify
glass. It reveals and exposes our sin and then silences all of our excuse
making and “but it’s not fairs” and our wagging our fingers at the sin of
others. By the Law every
mouth is stopped, and the whole world is held accountable to God.As Paul goes on to say, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God…

But don’t forget to read
the next verse. Commit it to memory. And
are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ
Jesus.

It’s true. You are a
terrible, horrible, no good, very bad sinner. Just like the Jews in Jesus day.
Just like Luther. Just like me. But it’s also true that God took your terrible,
horrible, no good, very bad sin and placed it all upon His holy, perfect,
innocent, and righteous Son Jesus.

The
slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever.

The Son came down to us. The Son joined us in our humanity. The Son
stood side by side with the slave to free us. He paid for your rescue with his
own precious blood. He was not enslaved by Sin, He was Lord over Sin. And as
Lord, He came under the Law that accuses us, that gives our consciences no
rest, which kills us. He took up our Sin and our Death and nailed it all to His
cross.

God does not hold you
accountable for your sins. Jesus entered our captivity to rescue us. Jesus was
bound in death’s chains to bring you life and freedom. Jesus’ death and
resurrection is the end of your slavery to sin. For the Son became the slave so that the slave might become the son. And if
the Son sets you free, you are free as free can be.

This is what Luther
discovered: The joy of hearing that Jesus was not a righteous judge, but one
who was judged in order to give us his righteousness; The good news that Jesus
came to bestow God’s undeserved kindness and favor upon us, not to be an
example of earning God’s favor; The truth of Scripture that grace is not
something earned, but given freely.

And today Luther’s joy is
our joy.

In Jesus you are free. Free from the obligations of the Law. Free from
the Law’s condemnation. Free from enslavement to Sin. Free from Death. Free to
live before God as a justified sinner. Free to serve your neighbor in love. The
slave is made a son. Should you ever doubt this or wonder if it applies to you,
remember you are baptized. Baptism is your adoption paper. Rejoice! You are no
longer slaves; but you are sons with the full rights of inheritance. You have a
permanent place in the house. And you have a place at the table. Come, eat and
drink. Abide in the Lord’s word and promises as his body and blood abide in you
for your forgiveness. You are forgiven. You are free.

This is why we celebrate.

A blessed Reformation Sunday to each of you…

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Every child
builds. Some build castles out of wooden blocks handed down from an older
sibling. Some construct forts out of blankets, chairs, and miscellaneous living
room artifacts. Some erect mansions and small municipalities out of Lincoln
Logs, Tinker Toys, or any other plaything their grandparents or parents saved
for them to enjoy one day. As fun as those pastimes were, my medium of choice
has always been Lego bricks.[2]

I received my
first Lego bricks from family friends in Michigan when I was two years old. They
gave me three five-gallon buckets full of these plastic treasures. And though I
wouldn’t get my hands on them for a couple more years, when I finally did, my
imagination was awakened by them, captivated by these little bricks with
endless building possibilities. Those three buckets were my child-hood
equivalent of stepping into a magic wardrobe or the TARDIS. Pieces led to
imagination. Imagination led to building. Building led to storytelling. I spent
hours in my room and around the house acting out the stories I told with my
Lego sub-creations. I followed instructions. Sets were built. Sets were
deconstructed. New ideas and creations were built and the cycle repeated. Whole
worlds were brought into existence and complex stories formed a strong
undercurrent to these creations.[3]

The import of using Legos can be seen well beyond the realm
of childhood fantasy. Math
teachers use Lego bricks for learning fractions. Engineers and artists use Lego
bricks for architecture and design in various scales and styles. Building toys also
have positive benefits in the development of a child’s fine motor skills and
dexterity, as well as social interaction with other children and adults, stimulation
of creativity, and play. And for the visual learners among us, there is always
the multi volume The Brick Testament.

But the point here is not to extol the many uses of Lego
bricks, but to highlight their importance for the imagination.This is why I enjoyed TheLego
Movie so much. The entire movie was about the imagination. And without getting
into too much plot detail, in the midst of adventure, humor, and a well-told
story, more than one man’s imagination is unlocked or opened – I think “freed”
would be the best word – by an act of sacrifice. Yes, I think there is a Christ
figure in TheLego Movie. And I’ll give you a hint: this character’s name means ‘truth’.[4]
Moreover, there’s a similar progression in the plot of The Lego Movie to what I experienced growing up. Pieces led to
imagination. Imagination led to building. Building led to storytelling.

Before the
imagination can be used in Christian apologetics the imagination must be set
free. Not free to do as we please, mind you. After all, that’s not freedom;
that’s anarchy and lawlessness. No, freedom to use the imagination in service
to Christ. Many of the 20th Century’s greatest authors did this.
J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, and Dorothy Sayers are just a few
that come to mind. Now, the point is not that all Christians need to become best-selling
authors in order to use their imagination as an apologetic for the Christian
faith. Rather, in our various vocations (or hobbies) God’s gifts of intellect
and imagination are put to use to serve the neighbor and declare and defend the
Gospel.

A great
place to start, or whet the appetite for construction, would be to read Gene E.
Veith’s book Reading Between the Lines: A
Christian Guide to Literature, or Francis Rossow’s fantastic tome Gospel Patterns in Literature.

And in
discussing the writing process, no one describes his own writing in fantasy
better than Tolkien. Tolkien defined his own composition, such as we find in
the pages of The Lord of the Rings or
The Silmarillion, as a work of
Sub-Creation. That’s because he saw himself as a Sub-Creator. Human beings,
Tolkien says, do not create things out of nothing. That is God’s work in
creation. He alone is the Primary Artist. Man is a Sub-Creator. In his poem Mythopoeia¸ Tolkien describes this idea
of Sub-Creation this way:

For Tolkien,
Sub-Creation is a derivative mode, or aspect, of creation. We make by the law
in which we are made. Using Imagination and Sub-Creation, we’ve begun to
construct a tool for the apologetic task. In this first segment we find an
important first piece – a baseplate – for a tender-minded means of defense, the
imagination. The next piece is to examine further Tolkien’s use of imagination
and its connection to Sub-Creation. For then we will see how fantasy can
clearly reflect reality.

Monday, October 20, 2014

In the Name of the Father
and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In many ways, St. Luke
picks up his Gospel account where the prophet Isaiah leaves off. Listen to Isaiah’s
words again…

Then the
eyes of the blind shall be opened,

and the
ears of the deaf unstopped;

6 then shall the lame man leap
like a deer,

and the
tongue of the mute sing for joy.

Sounds like a medical
transcription report. People can’t see. Can’t walk. Can’t speak. Diagnosis.
Prognosis. Treatment. Isaiah depicts the Lord as a divine physician, as the
Healer of the Nations.

And so does St. Luke, who
we commemorate today. The Good Physician whom Isaiah foretells, Luke records in
his Gospel. From Luke’s perspective, the moment Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the
sign on the stable door where Jesus is born reads: “The Doc is in”. Jesus
fulfills Isaiah’s prophecies. Jesus heals the blind. Jesus opens the deaf ear.
Jesus tells the lame to get up and walk.. And Jesus speaks peace, because he is
the peace of God in human flesh.

And that’s why he instructs
the 72 in Luke 10 to say, “Peace be with this house” as he sends them out as
apostles of his peace. Jesus gives his peace won for us on the cross. Reconciliation
with God. This peace forgives sin. This is the peace he sent the 12 and then
the 72 out to proclaim. This is the peace that Luke writes about in his Gospel.
Jesus is a physician of peace.

Now peace may be the last
thing on your mind when you go to the doctor’s office. You may not find the
medical waiting room a very peaceful place. Oh sure, it might be painted with
soothing colors, decorated with toys, magazines, or TVs. But for many, a trip
to the doctor causes anxiety, fear, and loathing.

But not so with Jesus, the
Good Physician of body and soul. There’s no white coat syndrome with Jesus. No
need to fear your Savior. Yes, he knows your history. He knows you are sick. He
knows you are a sinner. He knows you are unclean. But none of that stops Jesus.
You are precisely why he was born, why he lived, suffered, bled and died.

Yes, your sin causes you
fear – and well it should. We can’t say, “But…I’m not quite dead yet”. We’re
dead in our trespasses. Cold and lifeless on the operating table. But what is
greater, your fear and doubt or Jesus’ cross? Your sin or Jesus’ death that
atones for your sin?

Jesus walks in to the
waiting room of our fallen world to breathe our poisoned air, and to take our
disease of sin and death upon himself, to restore your life forever. The Doctor
dies for the patient in order to bring you back from the dead. Jesus becomes
the curse of sin for you in order to give you a clean bill of health. All of
your sin and death are quarantined in Jesus’ body on the cross. It all dies
with Jesus. You are forgiven. You are restored. You are at peace.

And the more we examine our
lives, the more we see our sinful condition; and the more we realize we need
healing. We need peace.

But in order to get the
proper treatment, we need the proper diagnosis. And that’s one of the reasons
we give thanks to God for His servant Luke, the evangelist. Luke’s job is to bring
Jesus to you through God’s living and active Word.

God’s Word is the scalpel
of Jesus, the Good Physician. And he’s an expert Surgeon. With precision his
law cuts you and “kills” you, in order to heal you and make you alive.

Each commandment is an
accurate incision of the Law.

We have not feared, loved,
and trusted God above all things.

We have failed to use God’s
name properly and call upon him in every trouble, pray, praise, and give
thanks.

We have despised God’s word
and preaching.

We have not honored our
father or mother or other authorities God has given us.

We have not helped our
neighbor in support of their physical need.

We have not led a sexually
pure life in all we say and do.

We have been dishonest and
poor stewards of our possessions and income.

We have not spoken well of
our neighbor and explained everything in the best and kindest way.

We have coveted more things
and people than we can even remember.

The diagnosis isn’t good.
In fact it’s terminal. But Jesus does not delight in torture or punishment.
Jesus, your Good Physician cuts with the Law in order to heal with the Gospel.
He kills you in order to make you alive. The Lord heals the broken hearted and
binds up their wounds (Ps. 147:3). All of those commandments you have broken,
Jesus has kept for you.

Jesus perfectly fears,
loves, and trusts the Father for you.

Jesus called upon God’s
name for you.
Jesus heard and spoke the Word of God for you.

Jesus honored father and
mother and all authorities for you.

Jesus helped his neighbor
in ever time of need for you.

Jesus led a sexually pure
life, void of lust and desire and sin, for you.

Jesus was a faithful
steward of all God’s creation for you.

Jesus explains everything about
you in the kindest way he can, through the lens of his suffering and death. Not
a commandment broken for you. All your sickness of sin, Jesus has made his own.

Strange as it sounds, Jesus
your Good Physicians turns the scalpel on himself. He stands under the
two-edged sword of God’s Word for you. He bears the Law for you. Keeps the Law
for you. Suffers the punishment of the Law for you. All so that he can heal
you. Jesus is bruised for your iniquities. And by his wounds you are healed.

Jesus is the Great
Physician that Luke, the beloved physician, was called to write about and
proclaim.

“Peace be to this house”. The 72 give as they receive. Jesus gives them peace. The same
peace of God that comes to us in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus,
all given to us in Luke’s Gospel.

In Luke 2 the angels sang:

Glory to God in the
highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.

Simeon held the 40 day old
peace of God in his hands and declares he can depart in peace.

Jesus entered Jerusalem on
his way to the cross amidst the cry: “Blessed
is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the
highest!”

Jesus
makes peace between God and man by his death on the cross.

Jesus spoke
to his disciples as he appeared before them resurrected from the dead: “Peace be with you”.

But don’t
think that Jesus’ peace is absent from us today. He is not. Thanks to Luke and
the other evangelists. Thanks to the 72. Thanks to faithful pastors who are
also sent. The peace that Jesus won for you on the cross by shedding his blood,
by dying your death, by rising again – all of that is given to you here.

Christ’s
Peace be to this house. Peace be with your house. Rejoice! This doctor makes
house calls!

Christ’s
peace is here. We sing it and say it around the Altar: “The peace of the Lord
be with you always”. The peace of Christ comes to you here. Take and eat:
Christ’s body. Take and drink, Christ’s blood. Here is the medicine of
immortality, an antidote for your sin.

The peace
Jesus gives is no placebo. It is real. Tangible as bread and wine, water and
words. It is not temporary like our vain efforts at peace. Jesus does not
appease sin and death. He destroys it. And in Jesus’ death you live. Jesus takes
on your sickness you are restored. You are made well.

And so today we give thanks
to God for Luke, the Evangelist. For Luke’s accounts of Jesus’ life and
ministry and for Jesus’ life in the life of the Church in the Book of Acts. But
most of all we give thanks to God for Luke, the beloved physician, who points
us to the Great Physician of body and soul, Christ our Lord.

For today,
the same promise given by Jesus to the 72 also comes to you.

‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Peace
be with you…and all who dwell here.

A Blessed Feast of St. Luke
to you all…

In the Name of the Father
and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

Have you ever listened to a song on the radio and thought to
yourself…I’ve heard this before (and not déjà vu). Like Vanilla “Ice Ice Baby” and
Queen / David Bowie “Under Pressure”. Musicians call it sampling. Old and
familiar stuck with the new.

Or when you read a story or watch a movie where The Prince
gives up his life for the Princess. The hero dies to save the world. Good
overcomes evil. And then you think to yourself: “I’ve read or watched this
story before. This sounds familiar.”

Well, that’s what Jesus is doing. He’s sampling an old song
from Isaiah “The Song of the Vineyard”. The first verse goes like this:

Let me sing for my belovedmy love song concerning his vineyard:My beloved hada vineyardon a very fertile hill.He dug it and cleared it of stones,and planted it withchoice vines;he built a watchtower in the midst of it,and hewed out a wine vat in it;andhe looked for it to yield grapes,but it yielded wild grapes.

Fast forward 700 years or so and listen to what Jesus says.

“Hear another parable. There
was a master of a house who planteda vineyardand put a fence
around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower andleased it to tenants, and went into another country. When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the
tenantsto get his fruit. And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another,
andstoned another. Finally he sent his Son.

Did you hear it? Jesus picks up right where Isaiah left off.
Isaiah records YHWH’s song for his vineyard and Jesus sings the same tune in
his parable. Jesus tells an old story, but with a new ending.

Jesus told this Parable of the Wicked Tenants right on the
heels of his entry into Jerusalem. In fact it’s part two in a trilogy of
parables told in rapid fire succession.

There’s The Parable of the Two Sons (the one says he’ll work
and doesn’t; the other says he won’t work and doe). The Parable of the Wicked
Tenants (where they beat the Master’s servants one after another and then
finally kill his son). And the Parable of the Wedding Feast (the king throws a
party and invites everyone).

Al three parables this in common: faith and unfaith. Receiving
Jesus’ teaching and authority or rejecting it. Falling on Christ the
cornerstone in repentance and faith or being crushed by it.

And so this is a parable of judgment. But judgment of what?
Of whom?

It is not…A class judgment: rich or poor. An ethnic one: Jew
or Gentile. It’s not a labor dispute: about one’s goodness or badness, what
they’ve done or failed to do.

No it is quite simply a judgment of faith alone. Faith in
Christ or unfaith. Belief in Jesus or unbelief.

When
the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth? That’s
the question. And that’s the basis upon which Jesus tells this parable.

The Pharisees were right when they perceived that Jesus was speaking against them. He was speaking against them. And against
the world too. For Jesus stands in judgment against anyone who will not accept
his acceptance of the world by faith alone. In other words, judgment is there
only for those who would seek to justify themselves, only for those who would
look for a righteousness apart from Christ, only for those who put their fear,
love in trust in themselves.

That was the problem in Isaiah’s day. That’s why YHWH called
Israel a bunch of wild grapes. They had been unfaithful tenants. They abandoned
the Lord’s Word and promise for faith in idols of all kind. They were
unfruitful tenants as well, neglecting the poor and those in need. They had
born fruit of rebellion and unbelief instead of repentance and faith.

This was the Pharisees problem too. They challenged Jesus’
authority at every turn. Disbelieved his miracles and teaching. Abandoned the
Word of God for the words of men. Produced the fruit of rejection and rebellion
instead of repentance and faith. They wanted Law, not grace. They wanted to be
judged by what they did, rather than what Christ was going to do for them on
the cross.

How sad. All Jesus wanted was for them to believe, to give
up trusting in themselves and trust in him. To abandon all hope of
self-justifying and find true hope in Christ who justifies the ungodly.

But no, they wanted to be in control. To tell the Master of
the Vineyard to go pound topsoil. Take a hike. Find other tenants.

So he did.

He found you. Jesus took us, wild shoots and non-Israelites
that we are, and grafted us into the living branches of his body on the tree of
the cross. Just a little water and Word and that’s all it took. Your Baptism
plants you firmly into Christ’s death and resurrection. Baptism grafts you into
the vine who is Christ. I AM the Vine and you are the branches, declares the
Lord.

So, what kind of tenant are you? Faithful or unfaithful?
Fruitful or unfruitful? Truth be told, we are both. In this life we are saint
and sinner. Like the Pharisees and the Israelites of old, we’ve abandoned the
Lord’s Word in favor of the words of men. And though they sound comforting and
enticing, they bring only death. We have been unfaithful tenants of the Lord’s
vineyard: our prayers and study of God’s Word falters. We have not loved others
as ourselves. All we like wild grapes have grown sour in our life and
conversation with our neighbor. Instead of bearing fruit in love for our
neighbors, in caring for their needs or giving them a word of Good News, we’ve
born fruit to devour for our own sinful appetite. Sin is a deadly appetite for
destruction. In Adam we are all dead, lifeless, unfaithful, unfruitful branches
fit only for the fire.

But in Christ you are alive, a living sacrifice for your
neighbor, faithful to the Lord, and fruitful in good works that Jesus prepares
for you to walk in. In Christ you are faithful tenants who listen to His voice
and hear him faithfully. You hunger and thirst for righteousness from Jesus’
Word and Jesus’ table. In Christ you bear the good fruit of love and humility
towards your neighbor, not asking what you’ll get in response but simply for
the joy of giving. In Christ you are humble and selfless because you are alive
in him and he is alive in you through the first fruits of the Spirit given to
the Baptized.

And so this parable is both warning and promise for us.

Warning us not to be unfaithful tenants. Warning us to flee
the fruit of unbelief and rebellion and rejoice in the fruit Christ provides:
repentance and forgiveness.

And also a promise. What more could the Master do for you
his vineyard? He sent prophets and apostles. And finally, he sent Jesus, his
Son. For you.

Here’s the new twist to the old song, the new ending to the
familiar story.

“Let’s
kill the son,” they said, “and the vineyard will be ours.” Those wicked tenants
were right! The Son of God is killed
and his inheritance is yours. Christ’s rejection for your reconciliation.
Christ’s faithfulness to cover your unfaithfulness. Christ’s fruit of salvation
from the cross to forgive the fruit of your iniquity.

Jesus
takes the punishment of Israel’s sins, of the Pharisees sins, yours and mine –
he takes it all on himself as he is thrown outside the vineyard walls of
Jerusalem, beaten, and killed. The Son is devoured in death and destruction for
his vineyard. The precious Vine withers and dies to give life to dead branches.
Jesus is the faithful tenant for you. Jesus bears good fruit for you, and sends
the Holy Spirit who works in you to keep on bearing fruit with repentance.

This is
what Jesus wants more than anything: to give you his vineyard, fruit, and wine,
the joyous harvest, his bountiful goodness and steadfast love.

Jesus
excels at giving. He died to give you life. And he lives to sustain your life. His
holy fruit is your sustenance: Holy Baptism is your divine irrigation, a water
tower flowing with forgiveness to cleanse your sin. Holy Absolution opens the
kingdom of God to you; you are a forgiven and faithful tenant. Holy Communion
is your banquet table: taste and see that the Lord is good as you eat and drink
his body and blood.

And the
wonderful thing about these gifts - the fruit of Christ’s victory from the
cross to you, the Good News that we are found in Christ not havinga righteousness of our
own that comes from the law, butthat which comes through
faith in Christ, that we are given the righteousness from God that depends on
faith – well, that is the one story that never gets old and never
ends.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

For
everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

A time
to be born, and a time to die;

A time
to weep, and a time to laugh…

Solomon’s words ring true in our years, especially today.
There was a time to be born and a time to die for Betty. Just as there is a
time to be born and a time to die for all of us.

But this was not always so. In the beginning there was only
a time to be born and not a time to die; a time to laugh and never to cry; a
time to dance and never to mourn. The Lord God looked upon all that he had made
and behold it was very good. The world knew nothing of weeping and mourning and
death.

For
everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Now it seems that is all we know. All we see on the news,
all we read in the papers (if haven’t stopped reading them yet because they’re
too depressing), all we hear on the other end of the phone lines from family
and friends seems to point us to the grave. It seems that we do not live under
heaven but under hell, not life but death.

Yes, Solomon’s words ring true. But they do not tell the
whole truth. For that we need Jesus’ words in Revelation:

Behold,
I am making all things new.

You see for Betty and for you, sin and death are not the
only season. They are but the fall and winter. Cold and cruel to be sure. Harsh
but temporary.

Christ was born, lived, suffered, died, was buried, and rose
from the dead in order to begin an eternal Spring and Summer. If there is a
time to die, then there is also a time to rise. Christ is greater than our sin
and death. Christ’s death overcame death. By his resurrection he thawed the icy
grip of the grave upon him and upon all who are called by his name. Yes there
is a time to be born and a time to die, even for God. God was born for you,
lived for you, suffered, bled, died, and rose for you.

For
everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

And so for Betty there was a time – September 22nd,
1922 – to be exact, where she died and was born all in a matter of a few
moments and three splashes of water. I baptize you in the Name of the Father
and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Behold I make all things new. Betty’s Baptism was truly a time to
die. Her sin was drowned and washed away. And her Baptism was also a time to be
born. A time to receive the new birth from above, to be born anew by water and
Spirit, born a new creation by Jesus command and promise: Let there be life.
And behold, in God’s eyes, Betty was very good. In fact she was better than
good. She was perfect, holy, sinless. All of that because of all that Christ
did for her on the cross and poured over her at the Font and fed her with at
the Altar.

This faith in Christ is the confession of faith that Betty
received at Baptism. This was the faith that gave her strength when there was a
time of depression or a time of plenty. She lived Solomon’s words about a time
for planting and harvesting, and a time for casting away and gathering stones.

This Christian faith is the firm foundation that Betty – and
countless young Lutherans like her – received as they learned and studied and
memorized each week in Sunday School and Church, in the home and later in
confirmation class. And she simply carried her faith everywhere she went, from
her family and friends in Lancaster, OH all the way to her family and friends
here in Huntington Beach.

This faith in Christ also led her to a life of service to
others. Freely she received Christ’s mercy, freely she gave to those in need.
Especially as a nurse, and a teacher of nurses. She knew that there’s a time
for tearing and a time for sewing.

But above all, this faith in Christ gave her words of
comfort. Words she learned in from the wisdom of Solomon, comforting words
resounding John’s Revelation, and the Good News which comes to our ears
straight from the lips of Jesus in the Gospels.

Words like we hear in John’s Gospel:

Let not your hearts be troubled.Believe in
God; believe also in me.Inmy Father's
house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you thatI go to prepare
a place for you?And
if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take youto myself,
thatwhere I am you
may be also.

Yes, there is a time for death and mourning and weeping. But
for you who mourn and weep, Jesus has words of comfort and assurance. For
Betty, and all who rest with Christ, Jesus promises:

“Behold, the
dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they
will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He
will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no
more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for
the former things have passed away.”

Yes, there is a time to mourn; but there is also a time to
dance. For death has no dominion over Jesus, over Betty, or you.

Yes, there is a time to weep; but there is also a time to
laugh and rejoice. We see and hear that now in part in the Scriptures, hymns,
and promises of Christ in Baptism and in the Supper. We will see and hear it in
full voice before the throne where the Lamb of God makes all things new.

Yes, there is a time to die; but there is also a time to
rise; a time to be planted in the earth for a rest from our labors; and a time
to be plucked up from our graves by our Lord Jesus Christ.

And then there will be no more time for sin, and sorrow, and
tears. No more seasons. No more fall and bitter cold winter of death. For the
former things will pass away. These words are trustworthy and true. It is
finished, Jesus declares. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the
end. He was for Betty. And he is for each of you as well in every season of his
life, and in every matter und heaven.

Christ has done all of this for you so that in every season
of your life you would know that you have a Savior who has endured everything
under heaven and earth for you.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy
Spirit. Amen.